Improvement in pipe-tongs



UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.

RICHARD COX, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIPE-TONGS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,6941, dated May 15, 1866.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, RICHARD COX, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Pipe -Wrenchg and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and eXact de scription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

rIhe nature of myinvention consists in Inaking a pipe-wrench which can be altered to suit pipes varying considerably in diameter, and which takes a firm hold of the Vpipe when moved in one direction and 'easily releases its hold when moved in the contrary direction.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1 is a 'side View. Fig. 2 is an end view.

Similar letters in each refer to the same parts.

A is the handle or lever to which the power is applied. It is screwed through the nut B and projects beyond it, carrying a jaw, C, on its end. This jaw has steel teeth, G', for bit ing against the pipe. lt also turns on a swivel on the end of handle A, and is secured to it by the pin d', working in a turned groove, d.

E is a hooked jaw hingedon a pin, h, at-

tached to the nut B. It is forked, as shown in Fig. 2, to embrace both Vsides of the nut. This hook E has a row of steel teeth, e', which bite upon the pipe to be held. TheV curve of these teeth is somewhat larger than the pipe y to be held, and the wrench will hold any pipe of a smaller diameter than that of the said curve.

P is the pipe to be held or turned. The han dle A is flattened at A to enable the operator to turn it more easily.

In using the pipe-wrench the jaw Eis placed againstthcpipePandthejaw'Cisforced against the pipe by screwing it into the nut B, and as soon as the handleAis moved in the direction of arrow x the tendency of the wrench is to tighten its grasp upon the pipe and hold it still more securely. It is easily released by moving the handle in the reverse direction.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

. The jaw C, serrated and shaped as described, swiveling upon the screwed handle A, in the manner and for the purpose specified..

his RICHARD COX.

mark. Witnesses:

EDWARD BEowN, DAVID BROWN. 

